B.C. Foundations English Level 5
ORAL LANGUAGE (Speaking and Listening) It is expected that students will: A1 engage with others in sustained conversation in order to – communicate ideas on a variety of topics – clarify understanding by asking questions and paraphrasing the ideas of others – express differing viewpoints and perspectives A2 demonstrate an understanding of the information communicated through a variety of informational and persuasive spoken sources (e.g., media broadcasts, lectures, verbal conversations with peers) by – asking clarifying questions – verbally summarizing main messages A3 prepare a brief verbal presentation (e.g., for a partner or small group) by – identifying an engaging topic – identifying the purpose and audience – creating speaker notes if needed – practising prior to presenting – adapting presentation based on lessons learned during practice (e.g., “I should speak louder.” “I should be more aware of my body language.” “I’m getting better at making eye contact.”) A4 give a brief verbal presentation (e.g., to a partner or small group) by – speaking clearly and audibly – using speaker notes when needed – maintaining appropriate eye contact with audience – using appropriate body language READING AND VIEWING It is expected that students will: B1 read and demonstrate an understanding of a range of texts, including authentic First Peoples texts and texts from a variety of cultures B2 read and demonstrate an understanding of a range of literary texts from a variety of genres and forms (e.g., poems, short stories, plays, folk tales, legends, adventure, humour, science fiction, historical fiction, biographies, speeches) B3 read and demonstrate an understanding of the content presented in a variety of informational texts (e.g., textbooks, reports, diagrams, maps, newspaper articles, instructional material, electronic reference material) B4 view and demonstrate an understanding of the meaning conveyed by a variety of visual texts (e.g., illustrations, diagrams, posters, broadcast media, films, videos, visual components of print media such as photographs, artwork, tables, graphs) B5 before reading and viewing, make predictions about the content and meaning of texts (e.g., textbooks, brochures, newspaper, web site, fiction, non-fiction) by – setting a purpose – generating questions – accessing prior knowledge to make connections – previewing text features B6 during reading and viewing, construct meaning from texts by – analysing the significance of the themes and points of view – using syntactic and context cues (e.g., knowledge of grammar, word order, and sentence structure) to guide and inform their understanding of the text – using text features to locate information and support comprehension (e.g., diagrams, headings, bold and italicized words, table of contents) – recognizing literary elements (e.g., plot, conflict, character, setting, climax, resolution, theme) – recognizing literary devices (e.g., irony, hyperbole, simile, metaphor) – identifying idiomatic expressions – making inferences (e.g., about characters’ feelings or story problems) – drawing conclusions (e.g., make connections between cause and effect) – skimming for main ideas – making relevant notes using logical categories (e.g., outlines, mind maps, timelines) – self-monitoring and self-correcting (e.g., identify when meaning-making is breaking down, reread to clarify understanding, use context cues and resources such as a dictionary to figure out unfamiliar vocabulary) B7 after reading and viewing, develop and monitor their understanding of the meaning conveyed in texts by – generating and responding to questions – using graphic organizers to process, record, and demonstrate synthesis of information – drawing conclusions – using text features to locate information and clarify understanding (e.g., copyright information, table of contents, headings, index, glossary, diagrams, sidebars, pull-quotes, references, hyperlinks) – using graphic organizers to process, record, and demonstrate synthesis of information (e.g., compare the ideas, content, and perspectives expressed in the text to ideas from other sources such as other texts, prior knowledge, partner talk, or class discussions) – making inferences and drawing conclusions – summarizing, synthesizing, and applying new ideas (e.g., suggest an alternative approach or conclusion, consider alternative interpretations, extend the story) B8 describe the ways in which meaning can be conveyed in fiction by use of literary elements (e.g., plot, tension, character, setting, climax, resolution, theme), and literary devices (e.g., personification, imagery, irony, hyperbole, simile, metaphor) B9 describe the ways in which meaning can be conveyed by use of text features (e.g., table of contents, headings, diagrams, sidebars, pull-quotes) and text structure and organization (e.g., topic sentence, development of ideas with supporting details, central idea) WRITING AND REPRESENTING It is expected that students will: C1 communicate meaning by using conventions of writing and representing (i.e., generally accepted mechanics of language) such as – simple, compound, and complex sentence structures – capitalization and punctuation, including commas in a series, apostrophes, end of sentence punctuation, and quotation marks for dialogue – subject-verb agreement – pronoun-antecedent agreement – past, present, and future tenses, including simple, progressive, present perfect – common irregular verbs (e.g., tell-told, see-saw, bring-brought) – contractions, possessives, and plurals (e.g., its-it’s, cat’s-ours, cat-cats) – Canadian spelling for familiar and frequently used words – copyright and research information (e.g., acknowledge sources, citation of references, embed quotations within sentences) C2 write a variety of creative and personalized multi-paragraph compositions (e.g., journals, stories, verse, memoirs, personal letters, blogs) that include – personal expression and meaning (e.g., through reflection, exploration of thoughts) – purpose (e.g., to entertain, respond, persuade, explain, strengthen connections or insights) – a main idea and supporting details – connected and sequenced details – correct spelling and use of grammar – a range of word choices to reflect intended meaning and an expanding vocabulary C3 write a variety of descriptive, narrative, and expository multi-paragraph compositions that include – organization that includes an introduction, a logical sequence of details, and a conclusion – clearly developed ideas that use specific supporting details – clear sentences that attempt a range of sentence lengths and patterns – a range of word choices to reflect intended meaning and an expanding vocabulary C4 create a variety of visual representations (e.g., collages, diagrams, posters, multimedia presentations) to construct and convey meaning that include – personal expression and meaning (e.g., through reflection, exploration of thoughts) – purpose (e.g., to entertain, respond, persuade, explain, strengthen connections or insights) – clearly presented ideas – content organized so that main ideas are evident – additional information to support main ideas C5 generate, develop, and organize ideas for writing and representing by – setting a purpose for writing – limiting the topic – identifying criteria (e.g., using established criteria, analysing writing samples and models) – identifying an audience – brainstorming ideas – organizing ideas (e.g., point-form notes, lists, charts, webs, clusters, illustrations) C6 during writing and representing, draft and compose by – using information from a variety of sources (e.g., personal experiences, experiences of others, hard copy written materials, electronic written materials) – organizing ideas and information in a clearly laid-out manner (e.g., using graphic organizers, visual representations) – generating and regenerating text – referring to criteria C7 revise and edit writing by – checking work against established criteria – proofreading for conventions such as grammar and usage, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling – revising to improve structure and organization, word choice, and clarity of ideas and information EVIDENCE OF THINKING It is expected that students will: D1 reflect on and assess their speaking and listening by – referring to criteria (e.g., self- and teacher-generated rubrics and checklists) – setting realistic short- and long-term goals for improvement (e.g., “I will engage in a 15-minute conversation on a single topic.”) – creating a plan for achieving goals (e.g., “I need to practise delivering clearer presentations, so I will make speaking notes before each presentation.”) – evaluating progress and setting new goals (e.g., “I’m getting better at understanding and using the feedback that I receive from the teacher and from other students in order to make clearer presentations.”) D2 reflect on and assess their reading and viewing by – referring to criteria (e.g., self- and teacher-generated rubrics and checklists) – setting realistic short- and long-term goals for improvement (e.g., “Before reading, I will use text features to predict what I think the text will be about.”) – creating a plan for achieving goals (e.g., “To practise reading different kinds of texts, I will select a topic and will find information about it using at least three different sources including a textbook, a newspaper article and a video.”) – evaluating progress and setting new goals (e.g., “I can now read and identify different points of view on the same topic.”) D3 reflect on and assess their writing and representing by – referring to criteria (e.g., self- and teacher-generated rubrics and checklists) – setting realistic short- and long-term goals for improvement (e.g., “When I write paragraphs about current events, I will include references and sources of information.”) – creating a plan for achieving goals (e.g., “I need to work on using simple, compound and complex sentences, so I will edit my writing to ensure that all three kinds of sentences can be found in one multi-paragraph composition.”) – evaluating progress and setting new goals (e.g., “I am getting better at proofreading to correct grammar and spelling mistakes.”) D4 self-assess and monitor their ability to construct meaning and deepen understanding in response to texts (e.g., any piece of spoken, written, or visual communication) by frequently – explaining and supporting personal responses (e.g., making connections with prior knowledge, developing opinions using evidence) – interpreting and analysing ideas and information (e.g., making and supporting judgments, identifying points of view, identifying bias and contradictions) Sources: http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/irp/pdfs/literacy_foundations/2010literacyfoundations_ela.pdf